10 Years Later…

Reina, daughter of Thorin Oakenshield, ran hard through the town; she had very urgent business with her father, and so she couldn't stop to chat with the many friends she had made in the mountain community. She began to pant as she wove through the many pedestrians and merchants. Of all the days, why in Durin's name did Kili have to start a brawl on market day?

At the top of the stairs to the city hall, Reina stopped, straightened her tunic and fly-away hair, (always being careful of her ears) and briskly strode into the building. Thorin had been called in to the hall for a Dwarven council meeting. Reina could only hope she wouldn't be interrupting anything too important.

"Reina to see Thorin Oakenshield," she said to the hall receptionist.

"I'll let him know. Urgent, I take it?" Ori replied, putting away his sketch set. Ori didn't do much during the day, so he spent most of his time writing or drawing.

"Not urgent; Kili." Reina said with a smile, joining him on the walk to the meeting room. "Hello, Ori."

"Hello, Miss Reina." Ori replied, grinning. Kili's temper and subsequent fights often resulted in both of them leaving the formalities until they had said what needed to be said, and actions had been taken.

"Draw anything interesting lately?" Reina inquired, easily keeping up with the Dwarf's pace.

"Not as interesting as I would like it to be," Ori replied, waggling his eyebrows at her.

"Ori," Reina sighed as they reached the big double doors, "I'm not going to sit for a portrait. With the harvest down the hill coming in, I don't have time to do hardly anything else."

"Before that it was the summer hunting, and before that was the spring planting!" Ori replied, a bit put out. He rapped on the door three times.

"Maybe sometime this winter, alright?" Reina turned and explained the matter involving her hot-headed cousin to the attendant, who grinned and nodded.

"Will you wait here, or go back?" he asked.

"I'll wait here. I'm of no use trying to help out there; thank you, though." Reina slid into the chair on the edge of the room, rubbing her forehead. First her cousin, then the nice, but overeager Ori who didn't seem able to take a hint.

It's not that she wanted to disappoint him, or stifle any artistic capabilities. She simply didn't want her Dwarven friends to find out about her true lineage. Her father had explained that while nothing was really wrong with being different, even being part Elf, other Dwarves wouldn't be so understanding. It would probably disgrace the family if the people, and Durin forbid, the Elders, knew who her mother was, who she really was. Not to mention the bad blood between her father and the woodland elves only a few months before she had been born.

"Reina." A deep voice interrupted her musings, and she looked up to find her father standing there in one of his best tunics and heavy cloak.

"Da." Reina replied with a smile. She was proud of who Thorin was, and proud of the line from which their family came. "Kili was being an idiot again, trying to defend a nonexistent reputation. Bifur sent me to fetch you."

"That sounds like him, all right. Let's go see if there's anything left of the boys to bring to Oin, shall we?"

Thorin smiled wryly at his daughter, and gestured to the path outside.

It always surprised him, to see how much she had grown in ten years. Of course, as time passed, certain matters which could not be pushed back came crowding into his head. Fili had been raised thinking that he would be the Crown Prince of Erebor, his Uncle's heir. Now that Reina had come along, that position had changed. And Fili was almost Forty, almost ready to take his vows as Thorin's relative, and heir. How would he manage it? Make Fili the Crown Prince, or leave him the heir apparent, with Fili understanding that Reina would gain the crown? On one count, that would make Fili happy, since he had never felt sure in his standing on his own merit, or as Crown Prince with his brother being the spare.

As they made their way to where the brawl had happened, Thorin began to hear shouts. Taking a deep breath, and stepping in front of his daughter, he bellowed.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"